The Biodiversity Conservation Handbook is designed to assist state and local policymakers who wish to "think globally and act locally" by developing a state or local biodiversity program. In addition to providing background on biodiversity generally and the importance of such programs at the state and local level, it looks at how science can inform and be incorporated into biodiversity programs, the various legal tools states can use in implementing such programs, and the importance of considering people's social and economic needs in designing biodiversity programs. Last, it examines the steps Pennsylvania has taken to conserve and restore the native biodiversity within its borders.